Juli McNeil and Darla Brown joked and playfully teased each other in between swings Friday at the Powell Golf Club in Powell.

It was as if the Powell High School alumni and best friends had never parted.

“It feels like we haven’t even been apart,” McNeil said during the Powell High School Golf Tournament. “You can just kind of pick up where you left off and enjoy that camaraderie.”

McNeil and Brown, two 1988 PHS graduates who now live in Billings, Montana, and Arizona, respectively, reunited after seven years, and were just two of 88 participants (most being PHS alumni) playing golf Friday as part of the Powell High School Alumni Weekend celebrating 100 years of PHS graduating classes.

Alumni from classes old and new were present during the 18-hole tournament, with many reuniting for the first time in several years.

Susan VandenBoom, a 1966 PHS graduate who volunteers on the PHS alumni committee and helped organize the tournament, was pleased with the strong turnout at the PGC and said the strong numbers are a reflection of how important the alumni weekend still is to PHS grads. VandenBoom said the high participation numbers were a welcomed sight after last season’s tournament was canceled due to a lack of interest.

“This was probably the largest group we’ve had for six to eight years, at least,” VandenBoom said. “It was great, and to hear people say ‘Thank you so much for doing it,’ ... it was my pleasure.

“I enjoy my golf game, and to see so many golfers come out and reunite to play and have fun and enjoy each other’s company, that was special.”

Also on the greens Friday were 1969 grads Terry Faxon and Nancy Newton, who said the opportunity to get together again was worth any traveling distance.

“I live out of town ... I’ve been out of Powell for 46 years,” said Newton, who currently lives in Elko, Nevada. “But it’s important to renew our friendships and being able to recognize somebody after not seeing them for 20 years.”

“Just being able to start over like we’ve never even been apart,” Newton added. “It’s like we haven’t missed a beat.”

The 88 golfers competing in the tournament entered as teams of four, leaving 22 teams vying for cash prizes at the PGC’s pro shop.

Taking first place were Steve Rickert, Howard “Corky” Ando, Diane Ando and Larry Wright with a combined average of 53.3. Simon Limon, Will Wells, Paul Mactherine and Elizabeth Paulsen placed second at 54.1 and Tom Fryer, Myron Heny, Dave Bonner and Toby Bonner finished third with a score of 54.5.

In fourth, Nathan Keefer, Brandon Jeffers, Andrew Whitlock and Howard Whitlock scored a 55.5 and fifth went to Randy Tate, Travis Tate, Karl Helfne and Brad Christiansen who posted a 56.6. Rod Burke, Patt Burke, Bob Burke and Randy Burke finished out the field of prize winners with a score of 57 that placed them sixth.